Price computing and indicating mechanism



y 1943. J. LODER 2,320,091

PRICE COMPUTING AND INDICATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG! May 25, 1943. J. LQDER 2,320,091

PRICE COMPUTING AND INDICATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 18, 1940 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Patented May 25, 1943 PRICE COMPUTING AND INDICATING MECHANISM Johan Loder, Wassena ar, Netherlands; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application January 18, 1940, Serial No. 314,552 In the Netherlands January 21, 1939 3 Claims.

This invention relates to registering apparatus for computing. and indicating the total price of a measured quantity of liquid, such as gasoline, which is dispensed to a purchaser, for instance, at a filling station. More particularly it relates (for instance gallon) of the liquid.

In order that my invention may be fully understood by those skilled in the art, I shall now proceed to describe the same with reference to the annexed more or less diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, of details not shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a modified form of the details shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, l denotes the main driving shaft, which itself is driven by the liquid measuring device diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1 and designated Fluid Meter and is connected, through a suitable gear symbolized by the bevel gears 2|, to a shaft 22 operating the gallon indicator pointers 23, 24 indicating, on dials (not shown) provided both on the front and on the rear side of the apparatus, the amount of liquid dispensed.

Mounted for individual rotation on the main shaft l0 are nine identical gears l-S. Gear I partly in section,

is integral with a smaller coaxial gear lb (Fig.

2). Gears 2 to 3 inclusive are each integral with two smaller coaxial respectively. Extending parallel to the main shaft I0 is an auxiliary shaft 20 secured to which. are nine arms ll-l3, Journaled to each of these arms is a set of two co-axial pinions lla, Illa-I211, l2bl9a, Hi), the pinions of each pair being mounted for rotation in unison. Pinion lla meshes with gear lb, pinion llb meshes with gear 2a, and so on, it being understood, however, that pinion l3b engages a gear 25 fixed on the main shaft ID.

The numbers of teeth of the intermeshinggears lla, lb and so on are so chosen that the ratio of the speeds of the gears l, 29 is as 1:2z-z9. To this end, the intermeshing gears llb, 2a and so on may for instance have equal numbers of teeth, whereas the intermeshing gears lla, lb and so on have transmission ratios of 1:2, 2:3,- 8:9.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the gears l, 2-3 are individually rotatable about the shaft 20 and connected, through intermediate pinions of which pinion 69 only is shown in Fig. 4, with gears 5|, 52-59, respectively, which are fixed on the driving shaft lll operated by the measuring device. The intermediate pinions are each carried by an arm secured to shaft 20. One of these arms, which have different lengths, is shown in Fig, 4 and indicated by the numeral 19.

Gear 5| is operatively associated with gear I through two coaxial intermediate pinions Glu and Blb. Also in this embodiment, the ratio between the speeds of wheels I, 2-9 is as 1:2:-:9.

Extending parallel to the shaft l0 (Fig. 1) are three shafts 26, 21 and 28, on which are slidably but non-rotatably mounted a gear T for tens of dollar cents, a gear 0 for cents and a gear for tenths of cents, respectively. Thus, each of the gears T, c and t can be brought to cooperate with each of the gears l-9.

In the position shown, for a price of 12.4

the money to a shaft 29, which secured to the upper end of the cent shaft 21.

The gears 33 and 36 have equal numbers of teeth. Consequently, and assuming the casing'31 to be arrested, shaft 4 ll.,will rotate at the same speed as gear 32, but in reverse direction. If,

arrested and gear 38 is rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow, pinion 34 will roll on gear 33, so that with each revolution of gear 38, gear 40 makes two revolutions in the same direction. Thus, with a view to correct computation, the transmission ratio between the gears 33, 33 will have to be as 2:1.

If both the gear 33 and the gear 38 rotate, the shaft 40 will be rotated at a speed corresponding to the sum of the separate speeds. Similarly, the.

revolutions of shaft 40 and half the revolutions 3-41, which of gear 48 are totalized by parts 4 correspond to the parts 33-3? but are mounted in the reverse sequence.

The revolutions of the tens shaft 26 are transmitted, in a ratio of 1:10, to a shaft 50 through gears M, 42 having a transmission ratio :1, and through gears 49, M having a transmission 1:1 (instead of the transmission ratio 2:1 of the gears 39, 38).

Shaft 50 is connected, through screw gears 50a, with shaft 29 for actuating the counters 30, 3D.

The unit price for which the gears T, c and t are set is made visible in a way which, for the sake of clearness, is shown only for gear t. This gear is suspended from a chain 5! passing over two sprocket wheels 52 and 53. Wheel 53 is connected to a disk 5% exhibiting the numerals 1 to 9 inclusive, in such a way that always the numeral of the gear with which the gear t is in registry (i. e., gear 5 in Fig. 1) appears in a window 55 of the casing (not shown) enclosing the mechanism.

What I claim is:

1. In fluid dispensing apparatus including means for computing and indicating the price of a measured quantity of fluid, a main shaft, a number of equal size main gears mounted for individual rotation on said main shaft, a driving shaft driven by a fluid meter, means for coupling said main gears with said driving shaft in predetermnied transmission ratios, a secondary gear, means adapted to selectively bring said secondary gear into mesh with each of said main gears, a counter, and means for transmitting the revolutions of the secondary gear in accordance with the money value represented thereby to said counter.

2. In fluid dispensing apparatus including means for computing and indicating the price of a measured quantity of fluid, a main shaft, a number of equal size main gears mounted for individual rotation on said main shaft, a driving shaft driven by a fluid meter, means for coupling said main gears with said driving shaft in predetermined transmission ratios, a plurality of secondary shafts mounted in parallel relation with the main shaft, aplurality of secondary gears slidable on but arranged to transmit rotary movement to each of said secondary shafts,

means adapted to selectively bring each of said secondary gears into mesh with each of said main gears, a counter, and means for totalizing the revolutions of said secondary shafts in accordance with the money value represented thereby and transmitting the total to said counter.

3. In fluid dispensing apparatus including means for computing and indicating the price of a measured quantity of fluid, a main shaft, a number of equal size main gears mounted for individual rotation on said main shaft, a driving shaft driven by a fluid meter, means for coupling said main gears with said driving shaft in predetermined transmission ratios, a plurality of secondary shafts mounted in parallel relation with the main shaft, a plurality of secondary gears slidable on but arranged to transmit rotary movement to each of said secondary shafts, means adapted to selectively bring each of said secondary gears into mesh with each of said main gears, and means for totalizing the revolutions of said secondary shafts in accordance with the money value represented thereby.

JOHAN LODER. 

